Welsh soldier opens up on how Prince Harry saved him from a homophobic Army beating

Welsh soldier James Wharton opens up on how Prince Harry, pictured, saved him from a homophobic Army beating

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The gay Welsh soldier saved from a homophobic attack by Prince Harry has opened up on his life battling bullying in the army.

James Wharton, 26, says though soldiers of his own generation were generally unfazed by his sexuality, “dinosaur” attitudes survived among older and more senior servicemen.

Mr Wharton, who says he “felt like the only gay in the village” growing up in Gwersyllt, Wrexham, also admitted soldiers’ banter about his sexuality was sometimes too near the knuckle.

After leaving the military around six weeks ago Mr Wharton wants to work with young people for gay rights group Stonewall.

His new book, Out In The Army: My Life As A Gay Soldier, tells his story from growing up in Gwersyllt to dodging rocket attacks in Iraq while wrestling with his sexuality.

The former Trooper in the Blues and Royals said the change in attitudes to sexuality during his decade of service was “incredible”.

But Mr Wharton, who came out to fellow soldiers in 2005, added: “There’s two generations of soldiers operating in the Army. There’s my generation – a very forward moving and liberal minded group of people and that’s great.

“The generation above us is somewhat still marred by the fact that in the 1980s, 1990s and up until the year 2000 it was illegal to be gay (in the Army) and diversity within the Army didn’t really exist.

“All the generals served when it was illegal to be gay and the hangover of that is still quite evident.”

In his book he tells how Prince Harry, a Troop Commander in the Blues and Royals, saw off a group of six soldiers from a rival regiment who had threatened to “batter” him.

Trooper Wharton, who was on training in Canada with Harry in 2008, also revealed the Royal had told him how he lost his virginity, asked about being gay and regularly used bad language.

Reports yesterday suggest Mr Wharton, who shared a tank with the Prince for several weeks, will send Harry a courtesy note to say sorry for revealing details of their private conversations.

Wharton also uses his book to tell how on another occasion a fellow soldier, who was also wrestling with his sexuality, beat him up after the pair went back to his room for intercourse.

“There was a change of heart on his side and a beating followed and I ended up in hospital.

“He led me on – inviting me back to his room. He was court martialled for it in the end and found guilty.”

Wharton, who in 2010 went through a civil partnership ceremony with 24-year-old Thom McCaffrey, from Wrexham, said banter about his sexuality among fellow squaddies would go from “one extreme to the other”.

“Sometimes it would just casually be remarked on and joked about and that’s fine.

“Sometimes it would be joked about and joked about and joked about and that’s when it starts to get a bit close to the line.”

Wharton said growing up in Gwersyllt, which according to the 2011 census has a population of 10,700, made coming out harder.

“Being in the rural countryside of North Wales I didn’t have any gay role models – there just weren’t any.

“Excuse the pun, but I felt like the only gay in the village to an extent.

“There was no visible sexuality difference – it just looked like everybody was straight. That was a very clear message from my upbringing.

“Kids who grow up in the country to be gay do feel a little bit more isolated and because of that they’re more vulnerable.”

Wharton has met other soldiers encouraged to come out by his story and regularly gets Tweets and Facebook messages from gay servicemen emboldened by his courage.

And gay activism is very much where the former soldier, who as a member of the Household Cavalry helped escort the Queen during the Royal wedding two years ago, now sees his future.

“I really enjoy working with Stonewall and talking to youngsters so I’d like to do more of that.

“I want to work more on creating an environment where youngsters feel able to be themselves. It’s something I want to concentrate on and something I wasn’t able to do in the Army.”

:: Out In The Army: My Life As A Gay Soldier, by Biteback Publishing & The Robson Press, is out now and priced £16.99